The Principles of Scientific Management

English · 1911 · 3h 23m · Social Science, Technology & Engineering

In The Principles of Scientific Management, Frederick Winslow Taylor argues that work can be organized more systematically to improve efficiency and make better use of time, materials, and workers’ effort.

Writing in the early twentieth century, Taylor sets out an approach to management based on studying how tasks are performed and replacing informal habits with deliberate methods. He considers the responsibilities of managers as well as the conditions under which employees do their work.

The book is a foundational statement of scientific management: a practical, historically influential view of the workplace that invites listeners to consider how productivity, resources, and workers’ capacity should be balanced.